Arnold Sports UK Hall of Heroes Lineup
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The Arnold Sports UK event has provided several reasons to generate excitement. Among the most popular events taking place is their “Hall of Heroes” where notable figures in different sports and endeavors will be available for a meet and greet. Every name on this list has international credibility, and some of them even have ties to Canada.
Katie Taylor
Taylor hails from Ireland and is currently undefeated as a boxer as well as the World Lightweight Champion in her sport. She won the gold at the 2012 Olympics as a lightweight fighter. As of this writing, she is 16-0 as a professional. She is actually the only person on this list that has no Canadian connections.
Usain Bolt
The Jamaican sprinter was recognized at one time as the fastest man in the world, and is still considered the greatest sprinter in history. He holds the world records in the 100 and 200 meters as well as the 4 x 100 meters relay. He won eight Olympic gold medals in total at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Games. One of his greatest rivals was Andre de Grasse of Canada, who took the silver to Bolt in 2016. De Grasse won the 200 meter gold medal at the 2020/2021 Games in Tokyo recently.
Ronnie Coleman
The man who made “yeah buddy” famous is an eight-time Mr. Olympia (1998-2005) and the 2001 Arnold Classic Champion. In recent years, the legend from Texas has been running his supplement line, Ronnie Coleman Signature Series. While his eight Olympia wins are the most famous of his 26 as a pro, Coleman’s first two victories in the IFBB Pro League were both in Canada. He won the Canada Pro Cup in 1996 and 1997.
Eddie Hall
Hall isn’t just a guest at this event, he is the co-promoter of the Arnold UK festival itself. The 2017 World’s Strongest Man is also the first man in history to deadlift 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) in strongman competition, which he did to clinch the 2016 World Deadlift Championship. The 2017 winners (in a tie) of that contest was Canada’s own J.F. Caron and Konstatine Janashia of the nation of Georgia.
Wim Hof
Hof is an extreme athlete and motivational speaker that is most famous for his ability to withstand extremely cold temperatures. Thus, he is known as “The Iceman”. He has set numerous world records including the fastest time running a half-marathon barefoot on ice and snow and longest time in direct full-body contact with ice. Hof had hosted expeditions featuring his “Wim Hof Method” in the US, Canada, and other countries on an annual basis.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
The retired undefeated MMA legend went 29-0 over his professional career before retiring as the Lightweight Champion of the World and pound for pound #1 fighter in the world. Among his victories was a decision win over Pat Healy at UFC 165 in Toronto. He is currently a promoter of Eagle Fighting Championship
Georges St. Pierre
Canada’s own Georges St. Pierre is also recognized as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the UFC. He competed in both welterweight and middleweight from 2002 to 2017 when he retired. The Montreal native went 26 and 2 over the course of his career with three reigns as the UFC Welterweight Champion of the World.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
It makes sense to have the man that the festival is named after as a guest in this kind of lineup. The seven-time Mr. Olympia and former Governor of California is best recognized for his roles as Conan and the Terminator. Schwarzenegger has visited Canada numerous times in both of his careers on film and politics, even in recent years as he has been focused on environmental issues.
Sylvester Stallone
The announcement of Stallone’s appearance at the Hall of Heroes was met with jubilation from fans and athletes alike. The legendary actor is best known for his role as Rocky Balboa, and his recent success has been thanks to the “Expendables” franchise. Another iconic character he portrayed was John Rambo. The debut of that character was revealed in “First Blood” which was shot in Hope, British Columbia. The small town even has a wood statue of the character in honor of Stallone.
The man that played Stallone's Russian rival, Ivan Drago, in Rocky IV will be alongside him this October. Dolph Lundgren also started alongside Stallone and Schwarzenegged in The Expendables. Lundgren also has a connection to Canada. He starred and directed in Icarus, the 2010 action thriller that was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. The film premiered in Canada before being released worldwide.
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